Falcons Score Late to Surge Past EIU, 3-1

Friday, September 19

Bowling Green, Ohio

7:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

6-1-0

Eastern Illinois

2-4-0

Eastern Illinois

Bowling Green

Vlad Lekarev v EIU - Jason Knavel photo - Sept 19 2014

Vlad Lekarev gets past EIU's Zach Medawattage during first-half action Friday night. Lekarev assisted on Pat Flynn's game-winning goal with 11:14 to play in the match

Photo by: BGSU Strategic Communications

September 19, 2014 | Men's Soccer

Box Score

Flynn bags two more goals as BGSU matches last season's win total

By: BOWLING GREEN, Ohio (BGSU Athletic Communications)

Sophomore Pat Flynn scored two (more) goals, including the game-winner with just over 11 minutes to go, as the Bowling Green State University men's soccer team downed Eastern Illinois University, 3-1, Friday night (Sept. 19). The non-conference match was held at Cochrane Field.

LINKS
FINAL STATISTICS: HTML | PDF
POST-MATCH VIDEO: Baraldi | Auden | Coach Nichols
PHOTO GALLERY: Courtesy Larry Clapper

With the win, the Falcons improve to 6-1-0 on the year, and BGSU has matched the win total for all of last season. The Panthers drop to 2-4-0 on the year.

Redshirt sophomore Max Auden, like Flynn a native of Naperville, Ill., scored the first goal of the match, giving the Falcons a 1-0 lead at the half. EIU's Will Butler tied the contest with a blast in the 48th minute of play, and the match remained tied until Flynn headed home a diagonal ball from senior Vlad Lekarev with 11:14 left in the second half.

Flynn added some insurance with just 13 seconds left, finding the far corner of the net after a steal by sophomore Joe Sullivan -- from Naperville, Ill. -- near midfield.

Flynn, the nation's leading scorer, now has 12 goals on the season. His goal and point (26) totals are twice as much as any Falcon had during all of last year.

"We have a lot of guys who can score," said BGSU head coach Eric Nichols. "Pat is putting the ball away right now. He's not afraid to score goals, and he's scoring big goals that win games."

BGSU enjoyed a 22-6 advantage in total shot attempts on the night, including a 14-5 margin in the second half. But, the Falcons could put just seven of those 22 attempts on goal. Auden's header was the only shot on goal of the entire first half.

The Falcons controlled the play for most of the opening half, owning the lion's share of possession time and holding an 8-1 advantage in overall shots in that first 45 minutes.

Just three minutes into the match, Sullivan stole the ball deep in the EIU end of the field, and slid a pass toward Flynn in the 18-yard box. Flynn, with several defenders around him, went to the ground, and the Panthers were able to clear the ball out of danger.

Moments later, however, sophomore Jacob Roth played a low free kick from near midfield. The ball was deflected to Lekarev, who fired just wide, as his shot hit the outside netting.

In the ninth minute, Auden came up with a steal near the end line, and quickly fired a right-side cross into the box. The ball was just a little too high for the leaping efforts of both Sullivan and senior Danny Baraldi.

Slightly more than halfway through the period, another Sullivan steal resulted in another scoring chance. Sullivan tried to slide a pass to Flynn, who again was knocked to the ground. The ball was knocked out toward Roth, who hit a diagonal ball that went just past Sullivan in the box.

With 13 minutes left in the half, the Panthers' fifth corner kick of the night resulted in the visitors' most dangerous chance to that point. The Falcons were unable to clear the ball, but Eastern was unable to get a shot off before Roth finally stole the ball and played it out of BG's defensive end.

Six minutes and 42 seconds remained in the half when the Falcons broke through. Sullivan took a pass from junior Ryan James, and the sophomore slid a pass to his left, where freshman Brad Macomber awaited. Macomber played a diagonal ball into the box from the left side of the pitch, and Auden headed the ball home to give the Falcons a 1-0 lead. Macomber and Sullivan drew assists on Auden's second goal of the season.

Three minutes after the goal, Auden took a pass from Flynn in stride, and fired a long shot. But, the ball sailed just outside the left goalpost.

In the last minute of the half, redshirt sophomore Danny Shea gained possession of the ball for the Falcons near midfield, and quickly found Flynn with a pass. Flynn made a long run toward the 18-yard box, and knocked a pass to Baraldi on his left. Baraldi rifled a shot toward goal, but his blast went over the bar, and the half came to an end.

In the second period, the Panthers wasted little time in equalizing, as Butler made a long run and hit a curving, dipping shot from just outside the box. The unassisted marker made it a 1-1 game with 42 minutes to go.

BG looked to respond immediately, as Macomber's right-side cross sailed into the box. Flynn, marked closely, attempted to backheel the ball into the net, but it continued past him. Baraldi got a boot on the ball, but redirected it right at EIU goalkeeper Mike Novotny.

Two minutes later, a combination play between Flynn and Sullivan resulted in a Flynn shot from the left side of the six-yard box. The point-blank shot, however, was blocked by Novotny.

At the other end of the park, EIU's Tayron Martin fired a shot that was saved by redshirt sophomore Nick Landsberger, the ball went out of play for a corner kick, but the Falcon defense dealt with that corner, clearing the ball out of danger.

On several occasions on the night, BGSU was able to string together pass after pass. One six-pass sequence stalled just inside the penalty area, as Sullivan received a pass from Flynn and attempted a return pass that just missed connecting with his fellow sophomore.

Near the hour mark, Baraldi and Flynn teamed up to work the ball into the box, and Flynn's pass to Sullivan resulted in a left-side shot that Novotny was forced to tip over the bar for a corner kick.

Soon after, BG enjoyed a sequence of at least 10 passes before EIU was finally able to touch the ball, blocking a diagonal ball into the box.

Midway through the half, Lekarev hit a hard shot that was blocked by a defender. the ball was played back into the box, and Baraldi knocked it down to Flynn, who hit a shot from a bad angle that still nearly found the frame. The ball went just wide, though, and went out of play.

With 13 minutes to go, James put Lekarev through, and the senior got off a hard shot that Novotny was forced to dive to save at the near post.

Two minutes later, however, Flynn and the Falcons had the lead. Lekarev's long diagonal ball met the head of Flynn, who was facing away from goal but managed to nod the ball behind him. Flynn's shot went over the outstretched arms of Novotny as he charged off of his goal line in an attempt to catch or punch the ball away, and BG had the lead for good.

For Flynn, the game-winning goal was his fifth of the year.

As the final seconds of the match approached, EIU pressed forward, looking for a tying goal that never came. And, with seconds left, the Falcons took advantage by scoring an insurance goal. BG's third goal came after Baraldi stole the ball at midfield. Baraldi worked a give-and-go with Sullivan, and the senior tri-captain played the ball to his right toward a streaking Flynn. Flynn buried his shot just inside the far post, and the Falcons had a two-goal advantage with just 13 seconds to go.

Landsberger had two saves en route to his sixth win of the season, while Novotny had four stops for the visitors.

Four Falcons had at least three shots each, led by Baraldi's five. Flynn and Lekarev each had four total shots, with Flynn putting a game-high three on goal, while Auden had three shot attempts on the night.

The Falcons now prepare for a Wednesday (Sept. 24) home match vs. nationally-ranked Michigan State University. BG will meet the Spartans in a 7:00 p.m. start at Cochrane, and admission is free.

FALCON NOTES
* Friday's win gives BGSU a 6-1-0 record on the year. The Falcons have matched the win total for all of last season. The 2013 club went 6-7-6 overall.

* BGSU"s 6-1 start is the program's best since the 1995 team also went 6-1 to begin the season. That '95 club got off to a 9-1-0 start en route to the first of three-straight NCAA Tournament appearances.

* Through seven matches this season, sophomore Pat Flynn has totals of 12 goals and 26 points. No BG player has scored 12 goals since Steve Klein had 18 in the 1996 season, and no Falcon has had 26 points since Chris Dore (9 goals, 8 assists, 26 points) in 1999.

* Flynn's goal and point totals are exactly double the totals amassed by BGSU's scoring leader, Ryan Comiskey, in 2013. Comiskey had six goals and 13 points to pace the Falcons a year ago.

* Flynn has scored at least one goal in six of the Falcons' seven matches this season, and has had at least two goals in a game on three occasions. The only game in which he did not score was BG's only loss, a 3-2 double-OT setback to Duquesne, and Flynn hit the crossbar with a shot in overtime of that match.

* Flynn now has five game-winning goals on the year.

* Redshirt sophomore Max Auden has seven points this season, including the first two goals of his career. After redshirting the 2012 season at BGSU, Auden had one point last fall.

* Senior tri-captain Danny Baraldi assisted on Flynn's second goal of the night. Baraldi now has 55 points in 61 career matches, with 17 goals and 21 assists as a Falcon. He is just one assist and four points from moving into the BGSU career top 10 on each of those respective lists.

* Freshman Ian Haskin made the first start of his young career.

* Sophomore Joe Sullivan's two-assist match was the first of his career. He now has 10 points this season, good for the second-highest total on the team. Sullivan has three goals and four assists this fall after totaling six points on two goals and two assists as a freshman.

* BGSU has scored at least two goals in six of this season's seven matches. The only time the Falcons were held to fewer than two goals was Tuesday night (Sept. 16), in a 1-0 road win over Michigan.